Research PSA: DNM Vendors, Have Your Say!

A request for participants in a research consudcted by a team of researchers with vast experience in the DNM scenes, posted at their request and published here, they have the full confidence and endorsment of DDW who has been following their work for the past few years:

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Do you sell drugs online?

Are you interested in sharing your views about online drug trading, the darknet community, and what law enforcement and the media are saying about you?

If yes, then we are interested in talking to you!

We are a team of independent ​university researchers conducting anonymised ​interviews with people who sell drugs on the darknet.

​We have safeguards in place – that we are happy to have reviewed – to ensure your complete anonymity should you be interested in being interviewed. Our research team has an ​established ​track record of ​researching and ​publishing ​​both online and offline drug trading. Links to our research profiles and previous publications are linked with our names below.

The purpose of the study is to shed some light on how people involved think about the risks, benefits and social impact of online drug trading. At present, much of the public commentary surrounding this issue is sensationalist and reactionary, and we hope to provide some more balanced and informed perspectives regarding the motivations and experiences of people who are actually involved in this line of work.

All interviews are strictly anonymous and conducted using whichever preferred encrypted chat program you prefer from the following: XMPP with OTR or Wickr. We highly suggest using the most secure means as possible and TAILS comes equipped with Pidgin, XMPP and OTR. Should you have another preferred means of communication (e.g. Signal, Telegram, Ricochet) we are happy to use these.

Interview questions will be themed around how you got into online drug trading and how you think about the various risks and rewards associated with this activity. We are also interested in discussing how you perceive the darknet community, the role of the media in reporting on darknet markets, the impact of exit scams and policing operations, as well as the social and political implications of online drug trading.

Answering any of the questions is totally voluntary and you will have the option to withdraw from the study at any stage. Also, we appreciate that your time is valuable and would like to offer a reciprocity payment of $40 to cover any expenses, payable to either you in BTC or to the charity of your choice.

We look forward to sharing our findings with the community and will make them available upon completion of the study.

Thank you for considering our request, and we hope we can speak with you soon!

You can reach us using the profiles listed below. The profiles and accounts below are only accessed by us through TAILS. Should you wish to use another method than XMPP we can exchange contact information and plan the practical details over forum private messages through The Hub or email. Our public PGP key is found below.